Martins
For 5 to 7 year olds
This section is for the youngest Brigade members, typically in reception, year 1 and year 2, and is named after the Brigades Patron Saint St Martin of Tours. The Martins have a fun filled badge scheme with an exciting programme of games, interactive stories, crafts, drama, singing, funsheets, puzzles and activities. These follow three themes, Me and Others, Me and God, Me and Gods World. Along with this Martins can enjoy games with older members and activities with other groups.
Martins Activities
To meet the aims of the Martins and the aims of the Church Lads’ and Church Girls’ Brigade, Brigade evenings should be structured and use some of the following methods:
- Christian Leadership
- Balanced Programme
- Awards
- Uniform
- Groups
- Worship
Within the balanced programme groups should be organised to do badge work and non-badge work and where no one type of activity dominates over another.
Activities
Some activities that work well with members of the Martins section at a typical Brigade company evening are:-
- Arts and Crafts for all different occasions. (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Remembrance Day, Harvest Festival, Bonfire Night, etc.)
- Indoor games such as, races, team games, hockey, football, basketball/netball, giant games, cricket.
- Outdoor games such as, hide and seek, cricket, rounders, football.
- Cooking
- Badge work
- Trips out such as, bowling, ice skating, going to the park, indoor climbing, swimming
Martins Badges
The aims of the award scheme are:
- To add fun, interest, variety and balance to the programme.
- To give children something to aim for and to reward achievement.
- To encourage children to explore new things and try new activities
- To help develop a sense of cooperation and teamwork in the group.
The first badge the children will receive is their membership badge. The membership badge looks like this:-
Note:- The Martins Section is the final section to be brought in line with the new Award Scheme. This is a work in progress which we hope to be able to offer to you in the not so distant future. In the meantime we have a full Martins award scheme still in place for your use.
Examples of the Martins badges:-
Badges are to be worn on the members uniform so they can be proud of what they have achieved. This can either be simply sewn on to dress uniform or on to a sweatshirt armband that can be worn over the sweatshirt of the casual uniform.
All the badge work schemes can be developed by the Martins Leader to adapt to meet the needs and abilities of the company and members.
